Spurs overpower Jazz on glass

SALT LAKE CITY – The Spurs found a nifty way to serve the Utah Jazz their comeuppance.

They got their revenge, in a 94-82 victory Friday at Energy Solutions Arena, by rebounding.

The Spurs enjoyed a 46-31 edge on the boards, their largest of the season, a disparity that included a 16-5 advantage on the offensive glass against a Jazz team that defeated them four times last season.

“We gave them one chance, and got it off the board and pushed it back at them,” said Tim Duncan, who led the Spurs with 14 rebounds, including six offensive. “We got a lot of easy offense that way.”

On a night when offense seldom came easy for either club – neither shot better than 44 percent – the 14 fast-break points the Spurs scored were crucial.

“I don’t think either team was real sharp tonight,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose team is 7-1 when outrebounding opponents. “I think both teams have played better games. We picked a night where both teams were a little sloppy.”

Meanwhile, Duncan is enjoying an elevator ride up the NBA’s all-time rebounding list. After grabbing 32 boards in his past two games, Duncan has moved within 17 of passing Elgin Baylor for 24th place.

NO SLOAN: Early in the game, Popovich peered down the sideline and was struck by what he didn’t see.

No Jerry Sloan, prowling in front of the Jazz bench.

“I’ve never had that happen to me before,” Popovich said.

Sloan, the longest-tenured coach in NBA history in his 23rd season with the Jazz, missed the game to attend the funeral of a family member. He left Phil Johnson, his assistant of 18 years, to run the show against the Spurs – and with little in the way of instructions.

“He wished me good luck,” Johnson said. “That’s about it.”

It was the 17th game Sloan has missed in his career. The Jazz are 9-8 in his absence.

A VOTE FOR MILLSAP: The Spurs arrived in Salt Lake City to find much of the state outraged by the omission of Jazz forward Paul Millsap from the NBA All-Star ballot.

Count Popovich among those scratching their heads at the oversight.

Projected before the season to be a bench player once injured center Mehmet Okur returns from an Achilles injury, Millsap averaged 21 points and 9.5 rebounds to start the season.

Calling Millsap “one of the toughest covers in the league,” Popovich suggested, sarcastically, that the fourth-year forward’s problem was a lack of self-promotion.

“Maybe he’s got to yell and scream and beat his chest or something,” Popovich said. “That’s not in him. He doesn’t bring attention to himself. Maybe in the world we live, that hurts you sometimes.”

WHERE’S TIAGO?: For the second consecutive game, Spurs rookie center Tiago Splitter did not play. Splitter is not injured, but is finding playing time limited as the team’s fifth big man.